by macnole » Fri Nov 11, 2011 1:23 am
[quote:81253f7637="PotKettleBlack"]Donning my horn rims and pocket protector...
Math Lesson... begin.
Every specific combination of 18 50-50 rolls is 1 in 262K.
M = Me
Y = You
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
is as likely as
MYMYMYMYMYMYMYMYMY
which is as likely as
MMMYYMYYMMYYYYMMYM
and so on.
There are ~262K ways of arranging 18 iterations of a coin flip. Not one is more likely than any other.
Before you say that a 9-9 distribution is more likely, I will stop you and agree. An aggregate distribution of 9-9 is the most common outcome, but there are several thousand ways to get 9-9. Only one way to get 18-0. And no specific 9-9 outcome is, individually, more likely to occurs than 18-0. Or 0-18 for that matter.
Taking off my jacket with suede elbow patches, putting the horn rims away.
Resume your normal discussion. Math lesson complete.[/quote:81253f7637]
Don't exactly agree unless I've misunderstood you. There is a distribution of outcomes in the aggregate. Binomial probability for independent outcomes is not just the product. There's an entire coefficient array that acts as a "weight" and yields the distribution of outcomes.
Only one way to get 18 straight heads, but not only one way to get 10 heads and 8 tails--it is not a unique sequence--they are independent.